Ideal for those who love cooking and preparing dough for desserts, pizza, and other delicious dishes, here are the best stand mixers on the market and how to choose which to buy.
A stand mixer is an appliance that allows you to create many recipes and easily and effortlessly make any dough. It is a machine capable of mixing different types of compounds, both liquid and solid, leavened or not, and even cooking in the most advanced models.
Insert the ingredients into the container, choose the correct whisk or hook to attach to the mechanical arm, and operate the machine at the desired speed to prepare the recipe. You can make dough for muffins and shortbread, bread, and pizza in just a few minutes.
The stand mixer consists mainly of three elements, the characteristics of which vary from model to model: the container, the motor, and some interchangeable accessories, whips, and hooks, which make it possible to carry out the various processes. Thus, a stand mixer allows us to obtain uniform dough without difficulty or effort and prepare various recipes, from the simplest to the most complex.
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How to choose a stand mixer: Types and Characteristics
The most important elements to choosing a stand mixer are to evaluate our capacity, power, supplied accessories, and cooking functions and modes.
The stand mixer contains more functions than the traditional mixer (less versatile because it does not have interchangeable accessories). The choice depends on the type of recipes you want to prepare. Let’s examine the features to understand how to choose according to your needs.
Capacity
The term capacity refers to the capacity of the container to process the dough. The mixers for domestic use on the market today have a capacity ranging from 2-3 liters to 4-5 liters. If the preparations are usually for a maximum of 4-6 people, you can choose a mixer with a 2.5-liter bowl; if, on the other hand, this appliance is often used even for larger quantities, it is better to focus on larger 4-5 liter stand mixer.
Power
The second factor to consider is the mixer’s power, or the motor power, expressed in Watts. A good-quality kneader must have at least 325 Watts of power to effectively mix any dough, from the simplest to the most complex. If the model has too low power, there is the risk of not using it for every dough type or burning the motor.
Usually, adequate power corresponds to the machine’s excellent speed, fundamental for mixing mixtures, even excellent ones; thus, professionally preparing a pizza will be simple and fast.
When choosing the kneader, it is also useful to consider the rest function, which allows us to interrupt the work at any time, should we face an unexpected event. Today there are 1,000 or 1,200 Watts mixers on the market, although basic models are around 500-600 Watts.
However, it is important to remember that the machine’s consumption, i.e., its current consumption, does not correspond to its efficiency or power.
There is often confusion between the two factors, but it is good to remember that they are not always comparable. Indeed a performing model should have a higher yield than consumption. Only in this case is it a truly efficient machine that should consider during the purchase phase.
Accessories
The modern kneading machine has all the accessories needed to work different types of dough. In particular, we have already included three interchangeable whips to attach to the mechanical arm in the best stand mixers among the economic models.
Each of these accessories is specifically designed to work on specific compounds. Let’s look at them in detail:
- Hook, to be used for harder compounds and leavened doughs, such as bread or pizza.
- Wire whisk prepares sweets, particularly with light or liquid compounds. For example, it is ideal for whipping cream, egg whites, or creams.
- To be chosen for soft dough, K whip (also called flat whisk or leaf) mixes compounds such as shortcrust pastry, minced meat, or mashed potatoes.
Some high-end accessories, such as food processors, ice cream makers, and sheeters, lack high-end models. Thanks to these options, the mixer will become a real food processor.
When choosing, we recommend making an assessment based on the basic functions, i.e., kneading, whipping, and mixing. After that, it will be possible for most mixers to buy further accessories compatible with our model, depending on their needs.
Speed Adjustment
When choosing a good-quality kneader, it is good to check the presence of the speed-controlled regulation function. Setting the potentiometer and the timer at a low initial speed and gradually increasing it throughout the dough is essential to obtain a quality compound. There are models available in the one or two-speed version to work hard and soft dough without difficulty on the market.
Cooking Function
In addition to the kneading function, some of the best stand mixer machines also offer a cooking function, thanks to the integrated resistance for heating the container’s ingredients. It is a fundamental function for those who love to dedicate themselves to pastry. It is useful for some preparations that usually require cooking in a bain-marie, for example, the melting of chocolate.
Thanks to this appliance, handling various pots and pans will be almost superfluous, replacing many kitchen utensils and greatly simplifying the work. Moreover, this will save time without sacrificing quality: insert the ingredients, and the kneading machine will take care of the rest.
Engine Positioning
Another factor to consider is the engine’s position, which varies from brand to brand based on the mixer’s structure and weight. If the machine is not very heavy, its engine should be positioned in the lower part of the machine structure for more excellent stability and safety, preventing excessive hose work. In addition, it is important to avoid excessive stress compromising the operation of the kneader hook.
Weight and Materials Used.
The weight varies according to the power and capacity of the mixer. In general, choosing a solid and robust mixer is preferable to guarantee resistance and stability due to the strong tractions that the harder doughs are used to cause. Regarding the materials, it is advisable to opt for stainless steel compared to plastic, as it is more resistant, durable, and easily dishwasher-safe.
The best stand mixers to buy
Below is a list of the best stand mixers selected for their quality/price ratio with technical features and prices.
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Therefore, any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to purchasing any products.